The AOA Third Party Center advocates for the inclusion of full scope optometric care and the inclusion of comprehensive ophthalmic examinations as a core benefit in all medical insurance and ERISA plans so that all Americans have access to quality eye care through their choice of appropriate provider.

The Third Party Center (TPC), comprised of AOA staff and volunteer optometrists, are charged with the following:

To ADVOCATE for the inclusion of optometrists in all medical eye care whether provided privately, publicly, or through any third party arrangement.

To INFLUENCE and BROADEN optometry's value proposition, to include the role of optometrists as primary healthcare providers, the scope of services available from doctors of optometry, and the challenges to access presently encountered by our patients and practitioners, to health plan stakeholders, employers and employer coalitions, benefit consultants, and other stakeholder groups.

To SERVE as a consultant and liaison to insurance plans, managed care systems, large employers, employer coalitions, and other organizations involved with third party health care delivery.

To EDUCATE member optometrists and affiliates on all aspects of third party eye/vision care programs, including conventional health care insurance, government health care programs, ERISA self-funded, employer health plans.

To FACILITATE the development of third party expertise within each affiliated association in order to prepare them to assist members with their payer and purchaser relationships.

To SERVE as a clearinghouse of information of information on third party issues and national health care delivery systems.

To COMMISSION research and studies that help to advance the optometry profession.

To PROMOTE the AOA as "The Voice" of optometry to national code setting organizations, and to ADVANCE optometry's interests in national coding decisions.

To ENCOURAGE the proper use of national guidelines including the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, and the Documentation Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management Services.

In order to promote and encourage rational inclusion of optometry as a panel provider of medical eye care services, AOA Third Party Center launched rethink eyecare which focuses on the benefits of including and integrating eye health and vision care as a core essential benefit in all health plans.